Delegations from OIC states discuss creation of ‘smart cities’ in Russia

October 02, 2013, 23:36 UTC+3This issue is one of most promising trends in Russia, where the urbanisation reached high results

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KAZAN, October 2 (Itar-Tass) - Representatives from more than 30 member-countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and 15 Russian regions discussed the problem of creating ‘smart cities’ in Russia at the economic Kazan summit, which opened in the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan on Wednesday.

This issue is one of most promising trends in Russia, where the urbanisation reached high results - 72 percent of country’s population live in the cities, representative of the Higher School of Economics Irina Ilyina said at the conference devoted to the ‘smart cities’ as part of economic development of the regions. Meanwhile, in her words, more than 300 from 1,100 urban settlements are small towns with little prospect.

For the past few years the Russian population has reduced by two million people, on the contrary, the number of Muscovites grew by two million people. The main problem is that “the control over the development of the cities is lost,” the scientist said. Even Moscow lacks a proper management of investment. But Moscow can create ‘a smart city’, new territories of 2,500 hectares from the area given for the expansion of the Russian capital should be used for this, Ilyina believes.

“Outdated design solutions in city construction hamper us to create ‘smart cities’,” Professor of the Kazan State Construction Academy Aleksander Dembich added. For instance, local stations for engineering networks should be created for satellite towns, but they are not envisaged according to the documentation. Meanwhile, in his words, a new legal basis should be created to introduce innovations in capital development and housing construction.

Tatarstan’s President Rustam Minnikhanov, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, President of the Islamic Development Bank Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al-Madani, ministers, chief executives of investment, production companies, the banks from Russia and the Muslim world participate in the summit. The forum will last until October 3.